Self-contained liquid dispenser



Aug. 30, 1966 M. GASPAROVICH 3,269,143

SELF'CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER Filed March 31, 1964 1 5 t d: 3 2 g INVENTOR. a Mark Gusporovich United States Patent M 3,269,143 SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER Mark Gasparovich, Stowe Township, Allegheny County, Pa.

Filed Mar. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 356,132 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-389) This invention relates to liquid coolers such as water coolers of the type utilizing commercially bottled water. More particularly, it relates to liquid cooling units in which a liquid supply bottle is positioned in the bottom of the unit and remains in an upright position.

Water coolers utilizing bottled water have particular advantages over those dependent on public sources. Bottled water is usually of a more assured purity than public water because the smaller volume of water treated by the bottler allows him to lavish more care in its purification. This also includes the removal of chemicals often found in or added to public Water supplies with the result that bottled water tastes better. A further advantage of bottled water is that the cooler utilizing it can be moved about conveniently in a room or building without regard to pipe or drain connections. There is, however, one disadvantage to this type of water cooler which has discouraged its use in the home or in places of businessparticularly where its chief users are women. Water coolers of this type almost universally require inversion of the water bottle at the top of the unit. This requires that someone quickly lift and invert a filled bottle weighing at least 40 pounds at the top of the unit before too much water spills out. This is a difficult thing to do and has tended to limit use of such equipment.

I have overcome this problem and have invented a new and novel liquid dispenser and cooler. I provide a cabinet having a compartment in the lower portion thereof and adapted to receive a removable liquid reservoir. I preferably place said reservoir into the cabinet in a normal non-inverted position in which the opening of the reservoir is uppermost. I prefer to provide dust seal means at the opening of said reservoir which effectively seal dust from the reservoir while allowing it to remain at atmospheric pressure. I further provide a liquid holding well in the upper portion of the cabinet and refrigeration means within the cabinet having cooling coil means in coil relationship to the liquid well. I further provide pump means in said cabinet having an intake from said reservoir and a discharge into said well. I provide switch means controlling operation of said pump whereby a desired liquid level is maintained within the well. I preferably provide float switch means in which a float in the liquid is free to rise and fall, controlling operation of said switch and the pump. I further preferably provide an outlet from said well at a point below the normal liquid level and valve means operable to open and close said outlet for selective withdrawal of liquid from said well. I further preferably provide overflow means comprising an outlet from said well above the normal liquid level. I preferably provide overflow means comprising a conduit extending from said well above the normal liquid level to the reservoir for discharge of excess liquid in said well back to said reservoir. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I additionally provide manual control means for said switch whereby said pump means may be selectively manually operated. I further prefer to provide dr-ip receiving means beneath the liquid withdrawal outlet and effective to receive liquid lost when withdrawing it from the well.

Other objects, details and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a 3,269,143 Patented August 30, 1966 present preferred embodiment of my invention in which FIGURE 1 is a front view of a water cooler showing the compartment for the water bottle;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the water cooler shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a back view of the water cooler shown in FIGURE 1 taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 2 with some parts cut away to show the positions of the several elements; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram of the wiring for the pump motor control.

The water cooler is generally comprised of a cabinet 1 having a compartment 5 in its lower portion. A removable liquid reservoir 6 is positioned within compartment 5. A door 2, vertically mounted and pivoting on hinge 4, provides access to compartment 5. A slight clearance between door 2 and the floor allows free movement of the door in opening and closing. A latch handle 3 provides means for securing the door in its closed position. A mounting bracket 8 is fastened internally of the sides of cabinet 1 above compartment 5. A refrigeration unit 9, mounted upon mounting bracket 8, may be be of any conventional design and for convenience, its component parts are not shown. A liquid holding well 11 is mounted upon refrigeration unit 9. Cooling coils 10 of refrigeration unit 9 surround liquid holding well 11 and are in a cooling relationship with it. A pump 12 is mounted upon refrigeration unit 9 at one side of liquid holding well 11. A flexible tube 13a extends upwardly from the bottom of removable liquid reservoir 6, following generally the bottom and side of refrigeration unit 9 to intake 12a of pump 12. The tubing is preferably of an inert, flexible plastic, for instance, polyethylene. Flexible tube 13b extends upwardly from discharge 12b of pump 12, entering liquid holding well 11 at 11a. A float switch 16 is mounted on top of cabinet 1 and is in a controlling relationship with pump 12. Float switch 16 is comprised of a conventional switch means, for convenience not detailed; a horizontal switch arm 17 extending therefrom into liquid holding well 11 and a float 19 depending from switch arm 17 by means of a vertical member 18. When the liquid in well 11 is at the desired level, float 19 and vertical member 18 support switch arm 17 in the off position. When the liquid level falls below that desired, the float and vertical member lower, pulling switch arm 17 into the on position. Pump 12 is then activated, filling well 11 to the desired level again. Float switch 16 and pump 12 are electrically coupled by two 2-conductor cables 14 and 15 at a junction box 22 which is mounted on the side of cabinet 1. Power is supplied through a conventional plug 27 and a 2-conductor cable 26 which connects with junction box 22. A selector switch 23 mounted beneath junction box 22 is operable selectively to cause current flow to the pump directly or via the float switch. A flexible overflow tube 20 extends downwardly from 11b on well 11 terminating in removable liquid reservoir 6 at 21. A dust cap 7 has holes admitting flexible tubes 13a and 20 and holding said tubes in place. A faucet 24 extends from a point below the normal liquid level in well 11 through the front portion of cabinet 1. A drip pan 25 is positioned beneath faucet 2-4 on cabinet 1 to dispose of liquid spillage.

In actual operation, the cabinet is placed in any convenient location in the room. The liquid bottle or reservoir is rolled along its lower circumference into the compartment provided. The flexible intake and overflow tubes are inserted into the neck of the reservoir. With the securing of the dust cap, the cooler and dispenser is ready to use.

While I have illustrated and described certain present preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself thereto and that my invention may be otherwise variously practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. A self contained liquid dispenser and cooler comprising a cabinet having a compartment in the lower portion thereof adapted to receive a removable liquid reservoir, said reservoir being independent from the dispenser and cooler, a liquid holding well positioned in the upper portion of the cabinet, refrigeration means positioned within the cabinet and having evaporator means in cooling relationship to said well, an outlet from said well below the normal level of liquid contained in the well and adapted for withdrawal of liquid from the well, valve means operable to open and close said outlet for dispensing of liquid, pump means having a liquid intake in flow relationship to liquid contained within the reservoir, said liquid intake being freely insertable into and removable from an opening in the reservoir, said pump means also having a liquid discharge discharging into said Well, and switch means in controlling relationship to said pump and controlling operation of said pump to replenish liquid drawn from the well through said outlet, whereby a supply of cooled liquid is maintained at a desired level in said well.

2. A self contained liquid dispenser and cooler as specified in claim 1 in which the liquid holding well is at atmospheric pressure.

3. A self contained liquid dispenser and cooler as specified in claim 1 in which the liquid holding well and liquid reservoir are both at atmospheric pressure.

4. A self-contained liquid dispenser and cooler comprising a normally once-through liquid flow circuit and including a unitary cabinet, a compartment in the lower portion thereof having a door and adapted to receive a removable, non-refrigerated liquid supply reservoir open to atmospheric pressure, a liquid holding Well in the upper portion of the cabinet, refrigeration means positioned within the cabinet and having cooling coils in enveloping relationship to the liquid holding well, a spigot in fluid flow connection to said well for gravitational withdrawal of liquid therefrom, valve means for selective Withdrawal of liquid from said spigot, pump means, conduit means extending from adjacent the bottom of the liquid reservoir to the intake of said pump means and from the discharge of said pump means through the side of the Well at a point above the normal liquid level of the receptacle, a switch in controlling relationship to said pump means and having a float in the well and connected thereto adapted to open the circuit when the liquid is at normal level and to close the circuit when the liquid level recedes, conduit extending from a point within the well above the normal liquid level therein downwardly to the reservoir and effective operable to channel off an overflow in the well to the reservoir.

5. A self contained liquid cooler as described in claim 4 and additionally having manual control means for said switch.

6. A self-contained liquid cooler as described in claim 4 wherein a drip-pan is positioned beneath the spigot operable to receive and dispose of liquid lost While filling an external vessel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,780,687 11/1930 Smith 62-399 X 2,665,559 1/1954 Dexter 62-396 X 2,749,096 6/1956 Cole 62-395 X 2,920,463 1/1960 Gould 62394 X 3,035,418 5/1962 Wright 62-394 X 3,060,703 10/1962 Benua et a1 62394 3,179,292 4/1965 Terry 62-391 X LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner. 

1. A SELF CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER AND COOLER COMPRISING A CABINET HAVING A COMPARTMENT IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF ADPATED TO RECEIVE A REMOVABLE LIQUID RESERVOIR, SAID RESERVOIR BEING INDEPENDENT FROM THE DISPENSER AND COOLER, A LIQUID HOLDING WELL POSITIONED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CABINET, REFRIGERATION MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN THE CABINET AND HAVING EVAPORATOR MEANS IN COOLING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID WELL, AN OUTLET FROM SAID WELL BELOW THE NORMAL LEVEL OF LIQUID CONTAINED IN THE WELL AND ADAPTED FOR WITHDRAWAL OF LIQUID FROM THE WELL, VALVE MEANS OPERABLE TO OPEN AND CLOSE SAID OUTLET FOR DISPENSING OF LIQUID, PUMP MEANS HAVING A LIQUID INTAKE IN FLOW 